WELCOME TO THE OCEAN TRIBE ONLINE DIVE THEORY LEARNING CENTRE
This is your go-to hub for understanding scuba theory. We’ve gathered clear explanations, expert tips, and top videos from across the diving world. Everything is designed to help you learn faster and smarter.
Browse each category to explore detailed topics. Watch helpful videos. Review key concepts. Reinforce your dive knowledge.
Whether you’re just starting or preparing for your SSI Instructor Training Course, this is the place to build confidence and clarity.
Your path to becoming a dive professional starts here. Let’s dive in.
The SSI Classified Diving program has been created to enable persons with disabilities who might not be able to earn full certifications the ability to dive and get certified with different safety parameters. Learn to work with disabled divers.
How do you access your SSI Digital Learning on a Kindle Fire? PADI eLearning is the most current way for divers to participate in the knowledge development sections of PADI dive courses. While you can take part in the elearning through your PADI profile in a browser on your PC, many people like doing their elearning on a mobile device. A mobile phone whilst sufficient is not always the easiest device to read off and see the videos/diagrams to their optimal viewing. A tablet is the best mobile device for viewing PADI eLearning.
But again tablets like Apple iPads can get on the expensive side. The Amazon Kindle Fire is a decent tablet that you can run your PADI eLearning on and the rest of the time use to watch movies, as an eReader, and even take your messaging apps there.
But Amazon Kindle Fires come locked into the Amazon App Store even though they run on Fire OS, a version of Android. There though is a way you can install the Play Store and gain access to millions of Android apps and games, including Google apps like Gmail, Chrome, Google Maps, and more. These apps include the Dive SSI app.
Installing the Play Store onto your Kindle Fire Tablet doesn’t require high-geekery “hacking” with running scripts and jailbreaking. You just need to download and install a few APK files on the tablet itself. You will then be up and running with your play store and can download millions of Android apps and get started on your SSI Digital Learning. Let’s get started.
At the start, you will need to make sure your Fire Tablet is from 2014 or later. This process may not work with older Kindle Fire tablets as part of the process you need to enable “Apps From Unknown Sources.”
Open the “Settings” app option on your Fire Home Screen.
Tap on “Security & Privacy”.
Tap on “Apps from Unknown Sources”.
Locate “Silk Browser” and toggle the “Allow from this source” switch.
Start downloading the Play Store files. To find out what version of the Fire tablet you have go to Settings > Device Options > About Fire Tablet. You’ll see your “Device Model” name here. To see your Fire OS version, go to Settings > Device Options > System Updates.
Download the files from the Links below depending on which Fire tablet you have.
Open the “Files” app option on the Kindle Home Screen.
Tap on “Downloads” in the sidebar. You will see the files you just downloaded.
Install the files in the following order (very important). Do not open the Play Store. Tap the file > select “Continue” > tap the “Install” button. After it installs, tap “Done.”
com.google.android.gsf.login
com.google.android.gsf
com.google.android.gms
com.android.vending
Restart the Kindle Fire Tablet by holding down the power button, then tapping “Restart”.
Open the Play Store and Install the SSI App
Open the Play Store by tapping the “Play Store” icon that has appeared on your home screen.
Sign into your Google account.
Tap on the “Search” icon. Type in “Dive SSI”.
Install the SSI
Go back to the Home Screen.
Open the SSI app and sign into your SSI profile. You will now be able to access all of the services on the PADI apps.
NOTE: For those of you going down the PADI Instructor Development path, it is also a good idea to put all of your SSI Instructor Manuals and guides onto your Kindle to be able to read them more easily.
As divers, we understand that owning your own equipment is very important and the first investment is normally in a good quality mask and snorkel. As such we have tried to up the range of masks, snorkels, and other dive equipment available in Kenya on our new online store.
Divers can now get their own top-quality masks from brands such as Scubapro, Fourth Element, Beaver, Aqualung, and even our own Ocean Tribe range of masks and snorkels.
The importance of having your own scuba mask cannot be overstated. After all the main reason we go underwater is to look at things. So therefore a mask that is comfortable to wear, and gives you a decent field of vision as well as looking good of course, is the first item of equipment a diver should be looking to purchase.
[vc_message]OCEAN TRIBE GEAR TIP
When you find a mask that fits you, and you like it. Buy two in case of loss or breakage. You don’t want to have to cancel dives or not enjoy it due to wearing an inferior mask.[/vc_message]
While we understand that sometimes you might not want a snorkel on, snorkels are required on all PADI diver training courses and as a prepared diver, you should always carry one. We have a selection of snorkels available to accompany a new mask purchase these range from snorkels with purge valves on them for easy clearing, to bendable light snorkels for freediving, and even foldable snorkels that can be stored away for later use attached to your BCD or in the pocket.
For comfort, we also now stock very eye-catching mask strap covers. Showing silhouettes of marine life you are likely to encounter during your scuba diving in Diani, these strap covers are made from neoprene and fit almost any mask strap. A decent mask strap cover ensures your hair doesn’t get caught by the silicone mask straps and eases mask removal and replacing. It also makes your mask look even cooler. Check them out now!
Other items available in our online store and of course our physical dive shops include more dive equipment, t-shirts, water bottles, rash guards, swimwear and even dive log books. Contact us today to find out more about dive gear in Kenya.
Ocean Tribe is delighted to announce that we are partnering up with Aqua Blue Adventure boats to offer dolphin-watching safaris in Diani.
There are three different species of dolphin resident off the white sands of Diani including Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins, Humpback Dolphins, and Spinner Dolphins. The chance to see dolphins in the wild is not one to be missed.
The dolphin-watching safaris in Diani are available to everyone, not just divers. It is an ideal family trip to add to your stay in Kenya as you witness another of Kenya’s amazing wildlife species.
For most people, the closest they will ever get to experiencing dolphin mannerisms or characteristics is on the TV watching National Geographic or in a zoo/theme park dolphinarium where they watch dolphins trained in captivity to perform circus tricks. So basically even if they have seen dolphins for real they have no idea of the real characteristics or live appliance of a dolphin.
By going on a dolphin-watching safari in Diani, you will get to experience the magnificent creatures in the wild ocean. This is their natural habitat. While you won’t be seeing the dolphins jumping through hoops of fire to earn a piece of fish, you will see a lot.
You will witness dolphins travelling in massive pods of often hundreds. See dolphins being playful hopefully. You will also have the chance to witness other marine life that resides in the area which can include but is not limited to turtles, whale sharks, manta rays, and other coral reef life, and big game fish.
All of the boats have comfortable padded seats and expert dolphin-watching safari guides to locate for you and give you information about the dolphins. Fruit and snacks are provided on board and the dolphin trips tend to take 2-3 hours.
If you are an accomplished swimmer and the dolphins are comfortable enough, then you might even get the chance to swim and snorkel with them. This call is made on judgments from the crew so not always guaranteed.
Dolphin-watching safaris in Diani run daily, weather-permitting from our bases in Alliance Safari Beach hotel and Baobab Beach Resort & Spa.
Interested? Contact us using the WhatsApp button below. Find out more and book online here. Or use the contact form to contact us via email. We are looking forward to hearing from you and taking you out to see these magnificent animals.
As the quintessential super-spy, of course, there is scuba diving in James Bond movies. Whether it is Bond using scuba to save the day, the bad guys setting up a dastardly underwater plot, or simply a romantic scene with a stunning Bond girl, there have been loads of Bond movies with scuba moments in them. We all had a reason to take up scuba diving and I am betting I am not the only one who saw Bond underwater and thought; “I’d like to be like that.”
It is interesting when you rewatch the Bond movies to see the evolution of scuba diving equipment over the years from the Sean Connery flicks of the 1960s to the present day. It is also interesting when we can see that while some elements have been added to equipment over the years, the basic functionality has remained the same.
So let’s take a look at the scuba diving in James Bond movies that got us to want to scuba dive.
Thunderball is the classic James Bond diving movie. Much of the movie is set in the stunning waters of the Bahamas, where Bond is searching for a missing Vulcan bomber and nuclear bombs hidden. There are underwater fight scenes, night dives, diver propulsion vehicles, and gadgets galore. And of course, the highly improbable pocket-sized scuba tank and regulator (oh well we can always dream). The bad guys and the good guys even try to make it easier for us to differentiate between them by wearing team wetsuits. Black for the baddies and orange for the good guys. How thoughtful! Oh and Sean Connery almost got bitten by a shark when filming the shark pool scene. But from the moment I watched it, this was the movie that made me want to become a scuba diver.
[vc_message]Interesting fact: For the underwater scenes in Thunderball the producers sped up the frame rate to make diving seem more urgent and fast-paced. Standard underwater swimming just looked too relaxed.
Another interesting fact: The British military thought that James Bond’s mini breathing device was real and made inquiries.[/vc_message]
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Although it’s only a short scuba diving scene in the Japan volcano-based You Only Live Twice, can there be anything more Bond, than faking your own death, being buried at sea, and having your body recovered by divers to take you to a hiding submarine to move off. Absolutely not! And as a final touch Bond dons a wetsuit to get fired out of a submarine torpedo tube to enter Japan incognito. Legendary!
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
More underwater battles followed as the mantra of the diving James Bond passed to Roger Moore from Sean Connery. This time in The Spy Who Loved Me it’s the baddies in scuba who are attacking Bond and Triple X as they investigate Atlantis in their outrageously cool amphibious Lotus Esprit. Unfortunately for the bad guys, their spear guns and DPVs are in no way a match for Q’s gadgets and Bond easily triumphs to calmly drive out of the sea and up a beach.
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
After the exploits in space in Moonraker, James Bond is back underwater in For Your Eyes Only. This plot centres around finding a decoding machine which has gone down in a shipwreck. So lots of underwater exploration, underwater Greek temple restoration, deep saturation wreck dives and of course an underwater battle. There is even a twist when Bond and Melina survive a keel-hauling scene by relying on a craftily placed scuba unit, which had been abandoned on the bottom earlier in the film. Who knew!
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Now before you say anything we do know that Never Say Never Again is not an official Eon production Bond movie. But it has Sean Connery in it so. Umm, well I am going to leave it in there. As this is basically a remake of Thunderball, it is inevitable that scuba diving is a major plot part. The equipment is more evolved and colorful by the 1980s, with a load of underwater scenes and twists. Oh, and did we mention the best dive preparation of all time as Bond is seduced by the femme fatale on the way to the dive site!
A View to a Kill (1985)
Roger Moore’s final James Bond outing A View to a Kill, finds him using scuba to explore an underwater pumping system in the San Francisco Bay. As the pumps are turned on, Bond has to use the scuba unit to evade death. He pushes it into the pump propellor and avoids being chopped up. A waste of a good scuba unit, but it does enable Bond to escape and win the day by dropping Christopher Walken off the Golden Gate Bridge.
Licence to Kill (1989)
Licence to Kill features Timothy Dalton in his second and final outing as Bond. Scuba diving features heavily in this film from the early stages where divers break Robert Davi’s drug dealer character Sanchez out of his armed prison convoy. Classic Bond dive scenarios return including boats with underwater hatches, mini-submarines, and of course underwater battles. Ok, the waterskiing behind the plane after using a spear gun to escape a scuba battle might be a little far-fetched and asking for DCS, but after all, this is Bond. Bond even evades detection by swimming under a manta. The bad guys even take scuba diving items to a new level by using a recompression chamber to blow up one of their own. Not to be missed.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Tomorrow Never Dies sees Pierce Brosnan’s Bond donning the scuba gear. Following a HALO jump to evade radar (whilst wearing full techie gear) Bond dives down to the wreck of a British warship to investigate. He and Michelle Yeoh’s Chinese super-spy narrowly avoid catastrophe as the unstable wreck plummets into a deep chasm. Inevitably of course 007 escapes to live another day.
Do all these movies make you want to go scuba diving again? Check out our range of PADI Dive courses and scuba diving trips in Diani Beach, Kenya. Live like Bond. Go diving.
House for rent in Diani. Ocean Tribe is delighted to announce we now have another accommodation option for divers coming to to Diani with our own guest house for rent in Diani near to the Ocean Tribe dive base.
The self catering guest house boasts two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and a kitchen and living room area. Outside in the garden there is a swimming pool, barbecue and a protected walled enclosure.
The property is located 100m from the beach on the main Diani Beach Road. Within walking distance are the World-famous Diani beach, seafood restaurants and bars, as well as other water sports activities. It is a great location for divers who wish a quiet place to stay with nice facilities close to the main Diani Beach.
Long term rates are also available for divers who would like to have a house for rent in Diani for a little longer. Optional extras which can be included with the guest house include a chef who can look after your culinary needs during your stay, catering for every dietary requirement.
The guest house can comfortably take 4 people (2 in each room) and we can also assist with taxis, hire cars and of course safaris for people wanting to get out and explore the best that Kenya has to offer.
Swimming poolSwimming pool waterfallGuest house verandahGuest house bedroomPool sun loungersBathroomBathroomBathroomGuest house bedroomGuest house bedroomGuest house living roomguest house living roomGuest house dining area
Diani Job- Dive Centre Support Staff- Ocean Tribe are looking for dive centre staff to join our crew in our dive bases in Diani Beach.
Applicants should be Kenyan or have the right to work in Kenya. MUST BE ABLE TO SWIM AND ALREADY A CERTIFIED SCUBA DIVER OR INTERESTED IN EARNING THEIR SCUBA DIVER RATING.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES GUIDE
A full time hourly position that rotates through book-keeping retail sales, dive reservations, and booking scuba training courses.
A varied schedule will include day, evening and weekend shifts
Essential Job Functions
Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as book-keeping, counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
Manage Dive Centre Management System (Full Training will be Given)
Enthusiastically answer incoming calls.
Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain equipment based on customer needs, desires, and stock levels.
Independently sell and set up the following: retail items ranging from T-shirts to Computers, Diving & Snorkel Charters, and PADI diver training courses from Try Scuba Diving to IDC Staff Instructor.
Answer questions regarding the items listed above.
Describe and explain equipment use, operation, and care to customers.
Demonstrate use or operation of equipment.
Clean shelves, counters, and displays.
Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns.
Bag or package purchases.
Help customers try on or fit equipment.
Inventory stock.
Prepare equipment for purchase or rental.
Collect customers and monitor dive and snorkel boats.
Estimate and quote equipment packages.
Estimate cost of repair or service of equipment.
Estimate cost of service, gear, or training required, such as “Cost of Open Water Diver Course, Price of Open Water BCD, Cost of Gas Fills, and Dive Charter” requested to complete Open. water Diver specialty from the dive boat in their own BCD.
Rent gear and prepare rental contracts for customers.
Distribute and maintain rental equipment, fill air cylinders as needed.
Attend all staff meetings and all in-service training programs.
Other Skills/Attributes
Self-motivated, professional, courteous and enthusiastic team player
Have a friendly outgoing personality and be goal oriented
Possess strong communication and exceptional customer service skills
Maintain an organised and neat work environment
Be passionate about your interests and personal growth
Able to multi-task in a multi-disciplined work environment
Adhere to training standards as set by PADI, DDI and DAN
Follow personal and professional safe diving practices
Comply with Ocean Tribe dress code and code of conduct as described in employee handbook, and Retail Center Staff
Full training will be given to the successful candidate as well as scuba diving certifications. Staff members will be expected to learn to dive for product knowledge and will be sponsored to professional levels if show the aptitude.
Interested applications should email a cover letter, CV and current photograph to info@oceantribe.co
For those dive professionals out there seeking diving jobs, Ocean Tribe in Diani Beach, Kenya is seeking a scuba and ideally a freediving instructor to join our team in East Africa.
Ocean Tribe is a growing PADI 5 Star IDC Center based in Diani Beach, 30km to the south of Mombasa in Kenya. We are looking to grow our business in the time following the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The successful PADI Instructor is responsible for teaching to agency and Ocean Tribe standards, dive guiding daily dives, and deck handing for a great underwater experience, safety, and customer service.
Dive Job- Instructor Applicant Requirements
Be certified and renewed as a PADI OWSI or higher and willing to teach more specialties.
Currently certified in First Aid & CPR, AED, and Oxygen provider.
Certified as an EFR Instructor
Be fluent in English and ideally one or more other languages
Must be in good standing (no recorded ethics violations or quality assurance issues) with any certifying dive agency
Hold current professional liability insurance
Own their own equipment
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal skills. Must be willing and able to work in a collaborative setting with a diverse group of coworkers and guests.
Be able to provide references from previous diving jobs and PADI Course Directors
Instructors are Expected to Work 5 ½ Days a Week based on a rolling roster.
The diving season in Kenya normally lasts between October and April and we are looking to make this a long-term position, although we have no objections to instructors who would like to work in seasonal positions during our low season between May and July
The expected start time is the end of August/the beginning of September. Only shortlisted applications will receive a reply.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by email to arrange initial interviews, which will be held over Zoom. Other communication methods will include WhatsApp.
Ocean Tribe is a fun company to work for and has a family-like atmosphere. Unfortunately, the pandemic has stretched us financially so at first a basic living salary and accommodation is the package for instructors. Commissions are also offered on every sale made for the company.
Disclaimer: This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at any time at the sole discretion of the Employer.
Ocean Tribe is delighted to announce that we are now offering PADI Freediving courses in Kenya from 30th September 2021. This is a fantastic opportunity for underwater enthusiasts to learn the discipline of freediving and immersion without scuba tanks.
What is Freediving?
Do you freediving is similar to snorkeling (although at a much deeper level)? You’re mistaken. Freediving is a completely new method to explore the underwater environment. PADI Freediving courses will enable you to go deeper, stay down longer, and feel like you’re a part of the ocean.
Freediving is a sport that can be competitive. Divers from all over the world spend years training to break world records in static apnea, dynamic apnea, free immersion, and constant weight freediving.
Reconnect With Nature
Freedivers integrate with the underwater environment silently. They have spectacular encounters with timid marine creatures and can hear all of the ocean’s sounds, including fish chewing on coral, the tide pulsing at the rocks, and even dolphin and whale cries!
Freediving is an excellent approach to reconnect with the sea while also exploring the ocean’s depths with minimal impact. Some people freedive for the challenge, but for many others, the underlying appeal of freediving is the silence and calm it gives to their otherwise chaotic lives.
Do I Need Freediving Courses?
Despite the fact that freediving looks to be a simple sport, you can learn a lot about safety and physiology. A non-trained freediver runs the risk of ear, sinus, and lung problems, as well as blackouts and drowning. An insured, competent freediving instructor can help you improve your skills while avoiding major dangers.
If you’ve done any freediving before, the new skills taught by PADI Freediving instructors will help you not only increase your depth and time underwater, but also improve your personal and buddy safety skills.
For those dive professionals out there seeking diving jobs, Ocean Tribe in Diani Beach, Kenya are seeking a scuba and freediving instructor to join our team in East Africa.
Ocean Tribe is a growing PADI 5 Star IDC Center based in Diani Beach, 30km to the south of Mombasa in Kenya. We are looking to grow our business in the time following the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The successful PADI Instructor is responsible for teaching to agency and Ocean Tribe standards, dive guiding daily dives and deck handing for a great underwater experience, safety, and customer service.
Dive Instructor Job Applicant Requirements
Be certified and renewed as a PADI OWSI or higher and willing to teach more specialties.
Be certified as a PADI Freediver Instructor
Currently certified in First Aid & CPR, AED and Oxygen provider.
Certified as an EFR Instructor
Be fluent in English and ideally one or more other languages
Must be in good standing (no recorded ethics violations or quality assurance issues) with any certifying dive agency
Hold current professional liability insurance
Own their own equipment
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal skills. Must be willing and able to work in a collaborative setting with a diverse group of coworkers and guests.
Be able to provide references from previous diving jobs and PADI Course Directors
Instructors are Expected to Work 5 ½ Days a Week based on a rolling roster.
The diving season in Kenya normally lasts between October and April and we are looking to make this a long-term position, although we have no objections for instructors who would like to work in seasonal positions during our low season between May and July
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the start date of the position is not yet confirmed but we are hoping for October/November. Only shortlisted applications will receive a reply.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by email to arrange initial interviews, which will be held over Zoom. Other communication methods will include WhatsApp.
Ocean Tribe is a fun company to work for and a family-like atmosphere. Unfortunately the pandemic has stretched us financially so at first a basic living salary and accommodation is the package for instructors. Commissions are also offered on every sale made for the company.
Disclaimer: This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at anytime at the sole discretion of the Employer.
Ocean Tribe are offering our divers a chance to win prizes. We are starting an annual competition with the chance to win dive trips, PADI courses, diving equipment, hotel stays and more.
So what do you have to do?
Well for the past year Ocean Tribe has been including Tribe t-shirts with every dive trip or course. All we ask for you to do for a chance to win, is to have a photograph of you wearing your Ocean Tribe T-shirt in places around the world. We want to see how far our t-shirts will travel!
Location Location Location- Win Big Prizes
So how will it be judged? Well the staff of Ocean Tribe will take into account a few factors.
Where the photo was taken
The photo setup
How many likes and comments and shares are initiated
How far you are from Ocean Tribe in Diani
How do you submit an entry for the chance to win prizes?
Pose for your photo wearing your Ocean Tribe T-Shirt
Upload the photo to Instagram
Tag @oceantribekenya in the photo
Write a description with your name and where the photo is being taken. Add the hashtag #oceantribeontour
Upload it and get your friends to share and comment
We look forward to seeing just how far the Ocean Tribe message will spread and we will also have extra competitions when they are seen at dive shows around the world and photographed with Ocean Tribe staff.
Photos will be judged at the end of the year. If you miss the end of year date, you can enter the following year’s competition as this will be an ongoing promotion.